If you have a problem with school officials strip searching 13-year-olds for Advil — or if you care about the government’s standards for informant use and invasive searches — you can take relief in yesterday’s ruling by a full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which ruled 6-5 that students cannot be strip-searched based on the uncorroborated word of another student who is facing disciplinary punishment.
“A reasonable school official, seeking to protect the students in his charge, does not subject a thirteen-year-old girl to a traumatic search to “protect” her from the danger of Advil,” the federal appellate court wrote
in today’s opinion. “We reject Safford’s effort to lump together these run-of-the-mill anti-inflammatory pills with the evocative term
‘prescription drugs,’ in a knowing effort to shield an imprudent
strip search of a young girl behind a larger war against drugs.”
“It does not take a constitutional scholar to conclude that a nude search of a 13-year-old girl is an invasion of constitutional rights. More than that: it is a violation of any known principle of human dignity,” the court continued.
In addition to finding the strip search unconstitutional, the court held that the school official who ordered the strip search, Vice Principal Kerry Wilson, is financially liable in the case and cannot claim qualified immunity.
The ACLU co-represented the student, Savana
Redding, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which decided to reconsider the case after a three-judge panel ruled 2-1 that the strip-search was legal.
For a case like this, it’s hard to understand how the unconstitutionality of strip searching Redding could even be up for debate. Consider how flimsy the government’s case was:
- No physical evidence suggested that Redding — an honor roll student with no history of substance use or abuse — might be in possession of ibuprofen pills or that she was concealing them in her undergarments.
- The strip search was undertaken based solely on the uncorroborated claims of a classmate facing punishment, who was caught with prescription strength ibuprofen — the equivalent of two over-the-counter pills of Advil. (And why on earth might a teenaged girl have ibuprofen?)
- No attempt was made to corroborate the classmate’s accusations among other students or teachers.
- The classmate had not claimed that Redding currently possessed any pills, nor had the classmate given any indication as to where they might be concealed.
- No attempt was made to contact Redding’s parents prior to conducting the strip search.
If you want to get some background information on the abundance of scientific literature describing the serious psychological repercussions of being strip-searched at age 13, you should check out the briefs of support that were also filed by the
National
Association of Social Workers and the
Rutherford
Institute.
“The strip search was the most humiliating experience I have ever had,” said Redding in a sworn affidavit following the incident. “I held my head down so that they could not see that I was about to cry.”
As Reason’s Jacob Sullum insightfully observed in his article on the case, “The School Crotch Inspector”:
“There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who think it’s perfectly reasonable to strip-search a 13-year-old girl suspected of bringing ibuprofen to school, and the kind who think those people should be kept as far away from children as possible … Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference
between drug warriors and child molesters.”
The same
safeguards
and regulations on informant use that we have been advocating in the context of criminal drug proceedings apply even more so to the context of school, where young people are particularly vulnerable to unsubstantiated rumors and finger-pointing by vindictive peers.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Who exactly where the 5 that voted yay on this? These individuals need to be put on trial themselves to make sure they are indeed fit for office, or their resignations demanded immediately.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
““There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who think it’s perfectly reasonable to strip-search a 13-year-old girl suspected of bringing ibuprofen to school, and the kind who think those people should be kept as far away from children as possible … Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between drug warriors and child molesters.””
Apparently at least five of the justices on the 9th circuit court of appeals are the kind to keep away from children…
July 13th, 2008 at 12:36 am
O
M
G
!
I rekanize how spun up you are on this topic, and there should never have been any doubt that this young lady had her rights violated.
But come on! “The strip search was the most humiliating experience I have ever had” is a quote you have printed, ostensibley from a 13 year old.
WHO CARES what a 13 year old has to say about how this or that action may have caused him or her trauma? Stick to the facts, idiot!
What is this crap: “Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between drug warriors and child molesters”
Yeah! I guess if you are looking for child molesters it’s hard to sort it all out.
But when you are reporting on a Circuit Court opinion, maybe you should keep your own opinions to yourself … if you want to seem credible to a casual onlooker.
But if you are only trying to look spiffy in the eyes of a faithful fanbase, well then I guess you probably don’t care for my objective opinion, do you?
July 13th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Wow! I couldn’t imagine someone being so horrifically stupid!
I hope they sue the holy hell out of the parties responsible as well as bring criminal charges against them. That is sad and frightening.
July 13th, 2008 at 3:23 am
“…the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which ruled 6-5…”
Um… 6 to 5? WTF? That is the scariest part of this article.
Where is this country going?
July 13th, 2008 at 6:26 am
LOL, Welcome to the new Regime! Condition them to unreasonable search and seizure while they are young. Way to go Dictator Bush!
FireMe.To/udi
July 13th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Good for the court. Still, five crackpots on the Ninth Circuit thought the strip search was OK.
July 13th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Another reason NOT to support public school. Homeschooling is looking better and better each year.
July 13th, 2008 at 9:36 am
6-5?
July 13th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
You know I have to wonder what the hell these teachers thought they were doing. If something like this happened to my daughter, who is now 13, you can bet I’d hurt that teacher horribly and or strip search him/them in front of the school of children.
What a moron. And there are times when I 13, 14, 15, 16 etc. female will have Advils in their purse and not because they are doing something illegal.
I’m also blown away that there was a 2 to 1 ruling in favor of the search the firs t time and also not a 11 - 0 ruling this time. What the hell were those 5 Justices thinking? I’d love to read their reasons on that and would also like to know how many were male and how many were put in by which party.
July 13th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
This story made detentionslip.org! Voted #1 for crazy news in education.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Every person involved that thought this was okay should be taken to a public podium and forcibly strip searched. These people need a one way ticket in a time machine back to 1941 Germany.
Send letters to your Legislators to have the consenters Disbarred.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:47 am
O
M
G
Lane, can you look like much more of an idiot?
i do believe that the facts where indeed reported in an objective manner.
The quotes serve to add gravity to this story.
next time think before you post.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:53 am
geez, Advil!!! hmm maybe the girl had her period and had cramps?? that’s reason enough to lock her up in prison. most vice principals are on power trips
July 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
@ lane:
This is a blog, not an AP wire article. Last time I checked, bloggers were perfectly allowed to write whatever the hell they want.
Another note: reputable news sources also publish quotes from involved parties in their stories. Perhaps you should pick up a newspaper occasionally and have a bit of compassion. We’re talking about a 13-year-old child who will remember this forever. God forbid it happen to one of your children; I’m sure you’d feel differently then.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
When is it EVER Ok to strip search a 13 yo boy or girl? Never.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
This is outrageous. How can 5 of them vote that it was OK?
July 14th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
This is the Liberal Idiots on the Bench who voted for this being OK. Conservatives would never have allowed this to happen!
July 14th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
do they think ibuprofen gets your high?
July 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
The sad thing is that the 2 Justice’s that voiced their dissent were not appointed by Evil Bush. They were apppointed by Clinton. So much for blaming Bush for this.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
This is sick. These people need to be brought out and public and paraded around naked for the whole world to see. Then beating for good measure.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
This guy needs to be president. This is EXACTLY how i want the schools my children go to do their searches. Children have no rights for a reason, and at least 5 people on that board agree.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Do that to one of my children and I will show them one of the things the second amendment is for.
That is unthinkable to have happen in america, don’t we overthrow third world ratholes for that kind of thing?
Five of those judges need to face a vote of no confidence to keep their jobs.
Want to know why home schooling is more and more popular? it used to be to protect the children from gangs, I guess it still is, the membership has changes though.
Failure to even try to notify the parents is abduction, then to strip them at least molestation, put them on the sex offenders list, to do all of this on an uninvestigated word of someone trying to get out of trouble is unthinkable.
Fire everyone involved while bringing them up on charges of child abduction, molestation, malfeasance of office and abuse of power.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Criminal charges need to be brought against the school faculty that participated in this strip search. Sounds like a strong case of “indecency with a minor”. Seize the school officials’ home and work computers and look for evidence of child porn. Those that participated should be strip searched in jail. The school system should be sued into bankruptcy.
This is unconscionable!
July 14th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
@ lane:
Your opinion on the posting of someone else’s opinion is worth about as much as anyones opinion.
Find somewhere else to troll.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Lane, this is the ACLU’s website, the group that helped represent this 13 year old girl, they have no reason to report this in an objective manner. I would hope that they would find this disturbing and outrageous. I feel that way and I was not part of the trial.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
This is insane. The parents weren’t even contacted? Someone needs to lose their job and go to jail. If someones boss were to strip search them what would happen, or if a college dean were to strip search a student?
Last I checked a school official was not allowed to strip search the children. The police maybe but not over accusations of having advil.
Anyone whom thinks this is O.K is crazy.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
6-5 is a complete joke. If I were that child’s mother, they’d have to pry me off Kerry Wilson’s face with a crowbar.
I’m concerned that the actual persons carrying out the search were allowed reprieve because they were simply “following orders.” Excuse me, but if you don’t have the good sense to stand up and speak for a child as a show of basic integrity, then you have no business being employed in an arena where children are involved. I’d say they deserve to be on the chopping block, because it’s vile, and they knew better.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Since when is it in any way shape or form illegal to be in possession of an over the counter headache medication? Even if this happened in a prison it would be outrageous. Think about how children who grow up in these school will feel about civil liberties, or even being civil when they grow up? I shudder to think what kind of society we are building.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
who gives a teacher the right to do this. not the law not the parents.the girl cant even consent to this.
that teacher must get fired and never be allowed near children again.power trip.
this is a criminal matter. the teacher should be locked up. i hope they get stripped searched aswell. WTF is happening to america.
i was a teacher in south africa and if i had done this i would have been arrested on statutory child molestation charges..AAAAAAAAH wake up america.dont stand for these people get rid of them..
July 14th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
The main concern here should be that there are 5 dangerous morons on the 9th circuit court of appeals bench who would have rubber stamped this.
It is absolutely delightful that the self-righteous kiddy-fiddling scumbag who ordered this search will now be held directly and personally financially liable. I bet he’s sorry now, but let’s face it this is the only thing that will make scum like this think twice.
It’s a great example of how some pinheads will act when put in charge of a school and in charge of the **CARE** of kids. Bloody disgusting!
Now, if only we could strip these 5 idiots of their black robes permanently.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I agree with most of the commentary here; What this girl went through was blatantly unfair. It is hard enough for girls at that age, going through puberty, and I wouldn’t blame girls for using prescription strength Advil if they do–As a female, the first 5 plus years of my menstrual cycle were sometimes dehabilitatingly painful. And even if they were accused of carrying something worse than Advil, a verbal accusation alone is not sufficient cause to strip search a kid.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
How anyone can think strip searching that 13-year-old girl was OK, has certainly lost their mind.
It was an injustice. Picture yourself in such a situation, and not feel sick.
How unfortunate for humanity that people think that was reasonable.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I don’t get it. Ibuprofen is an over-the-counter drug, it can be sold to a five year old child. What’s the point of strip-searching a student for a legal substance?
July 14th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Jason, you posed the exact same question I had a few seconds into this article…
People should not be thinking about keeping people like those who would strip search a 13yo away from children, they should be putting them and those 5 who voted it constitutional into a HOLE!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
School officials should not be able to search anyone for anything, unless they are explicitly putting someone else in danger (guns, bombs, knives, whatever). I always had a bottle of ibuprofen in my locker at school (graduated last month), and some kids would even get it from the office or the librarian. Are these people criminals for handing out “drugs” to kids? My high school was from eighth grade to grade twelve, meaning that there were plenty of 13 year olds running around.
I’m positive that the girl would have been able to say No and just walk out. They can’t detain you for anything. Thats kidnapping, folks. I would never submit myself to being searched in ANY way unless a police officer was present with a warrant or with probably cause.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
The school system is an autocratic regime system that does what it pleases with little concern for due process or democratic ideals. The school system, any where in this country, yes I am using broad strokes, has never had a customer service relationship with the local community and the services it is supposed to render. The lesson plans are ripe with political rhetoric, glossing over US history where it does not suit liberals or neocons agenda, teachers preaching religion, what you should be eating, dieting, the way you dress, recycling (introduced in the classroom in California in the 80’s), condoms and sex ed, MADD & DADD rallys, etc. (insert all the other non-traditional educational related issues covered in school, the list goes on)
The old adage of shit floats to the top comes to mind for both the school system and the courts.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
@lane:
You wrote: “But if you are only trying to look spiffy in the eyes of a faithful fanbase, well then I guess you probably don’t care for my objective opinion, do you?”
Clearly, you don’t understand the meaning of either “objective” or “opinion”.
To comment on the story: Clearly ibuprofen is an over-the-counter drug and any attempt to confuse it with prescription drugs that pose a risk of abuse represents an obvious smokescreen.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
It’s a lot of nonsense, when I immigrated to the States 30 years ago even though all the papers were in order my whole family had to be strip searched at the airport, it was routine procedure, probably still is.
It won’t do her any harm she’ll be fine.
However, if you don’t want to waste your child and teen years, don’t go to a public school, it’s just a lot of nonsense.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
1-2 then 6-5. The United States is slowly going down the drain. Republican Confederacy is on the rise.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I agree, this is completely outrageous. Not only the school officials who conducted the strip search should be tried for child molestation and imprisonned, but they should also be kept away from children and put on the list of sexual predators. The same should apply for the 5 sick perverts who voted that it was OK to strip search 13 year-old kids. I’d go as far as saying that the school should be closed, as its failure to even NOTIFY the parents beforehand shows that they do not have the qualifications to take care of our children.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Do not question master - Rule #1
Do not break masters rules - Rule #2
Any other questions return to rule #1
HAIL BUSH, WITHOUT YOU WE COULD NEVER PISS GOD OFF ENOUGH TO DESTROY US.
OR DOES GOD EVEN CARE ANYMORE?….
July 15th, 2008 at 1:37 am
It’s not as clear cut as the article makes it out to be. Read the dissenting opinions. This girl was caught bringing knives and stuff to school. She was popped the month before drinking at a school function, and another student had complained that she was hosting parties at her trailer home with booze provided by her mom. Another student told the administrators that she was distributing pills at school, and they had two different kind of pills already. They didn’t know what they were going to find. It wasn’t like they just went looking for Advil.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:42 am
This is absolutely ridiculous. The idiot Vice Principal should be on trial next for an illegal search and seizure. The Constitution should hold more water than these made up laws that allow adults to invade the privacy of youngsters. The judicial system and government officials of this nation have their heads so far up their asses, they are too blind to see this.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:49 am
The comments speak to the idea that people do not understand the legal system.
Judges do not have the flexibility to express personal opinion. They must, by definition of their position, interpret the law as it is written.
I once met Supreme Court Justice Scalia and he explained that he once became physically ill from a decision that he had to make in a child rape case. What was ‘right’ was one thing. What the ‘law said’ was another.
The law is wrong. Blame your legislator.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Does anyone else not see the slow process of this country going str8 down the drain? How on earth could they possibly justify strip-searching a 13 year old??? Unless he/she has some heroine/cocaine that it is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN it is on them, no child at 13 should be strip-searched. And to the jackass above, the girls comment was added to add emphasis to the injustice because she is traumatized!!!!!!
July 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
This is exactly what the drug war is leading to. Its pathetic. I wish the court had the insight to make the connection with every other kind of drug. There is nothing in the constitution that says the government has the right to abolish any drug. thats why they amended it in the prohibition period. This case could have gone much further to protecting constitutional rights, but they dropped the ball.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
“no child at 13 should be strip-searched.”
Then stop voting for politicians who appoint judges that think it is OK, and stop voting for politicians who pass laws making it OK. This is part of what you get by voting for the lesser of two evils every election instead of the actual best candidate. Lie in the bed of your making.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
@Bob:
You stated: “It’s not as clear cut as the article makes it out to be. Read the dissenting opinions. This girl was caught bringing knives and stuff to school. She was popped the month before drinking at a school function, and another student had complained that she was hosting parties at her trailer home with booze provided by her mom. Another student told the administrators that she was distributing pills at school, and they had two different kind of pills already. They didn’t know what they were going to find. It wasn’t like they just went looking for Advil.”
That being the case it was a matter for the police to do all of this through due process. It should never have been the decision of a school vice principal who has no law enforcement authority to do this type of search. I have a 3-year old daughter and I find it distrubing to think that a school officials feels it is within his rights to perform a strip search, without contacting the parents or police.
I think I know why the police were not involved; they would have told him that his no probable cause to do that type of search. Shoot, people who commit crimes are not even subject to a strip search until they have been arrested first.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
These close call votes are very scary. 6-5? How could five United States Federal Judges think strip searching a little girl because she has aspirin/Advil, not to mention that if for some reason that is against the rules, it was just alleged by some student who got in trouble for having extra strength Ibuprofen and no evidence to back it up. Americans freedom seems to be running on thin lines these days.
This reminds me of another close call case, 5-4, yes 4 judges on the United States Supreme court actually had the
audacity to make an outrages frivolous claim that the second amendment was a “collective” right, can you imagine, a BIll of Rights and they claim it was an amendment to protect the rights of government, ha, because that is what this country is all about, right.
ACLU I would support them if they started protecting all rights and not picking and choosing to there ultra liberal liking.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
@Bob
I’m confused. I was under the assumption that this young lady had NO history of substance use or abuse.
And as far as a vice-principal is concerned, give me a break. He’s exactly that: A vice principal. Not a government official, justice, or police officer.
The only thing that perv did was take advantage of a child who was afraid to say no. He BANKED on the idea that she would go along with it without a fight, which means that the act was calculated.
He abused the grunt of his power against a another human being, in a manner that ENABLED the lewd knowledge of a minor, no less a minor in his care.
He should apply for priesthood. I hear they’re hiring.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
What in the sweet name of all that’s holy…?
No evidence? No definite statements of “I saw her with drugs” were taken? So why in the hell was this even authorized? I don’t care if she’s an honor roll kid or she’s two steps away from dropping out; the fact that a minor was strip-searched on American soil without even notifying her parents is unconstitutional on so many levels, I don’t even know where to start.
At least law enforcement invokes the PATRIOT Act and ships suspected terrorists off to Guantanamo Bay before stripping them of their clothing and their rights.
Just because the guy was (HOPEFULLY ‘was’) a Vice Principal doesn’t make him law enforcement, which doesn’t give him the right to conduct a strip search with or without a warrant. Lawfully he would need a badge, to be a female, be wearing latex gloves, and have both a warrant and probable cause. AND to have advised the girl of her rights, and call her parents, and have a child advocate present.
I myself don’t take Advil or Tylenol. If I’m in pain and I just can’t stand it anymore, I’ll take two ibuprofen. Why? Because I have a heart murmur and I don’t need something that’s gonna thin out my bloodstream.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I am a State Police Officer in South Carolina and I am NEVER allowed to perform a STRIP SEARCH !!! In a PRISON environment, yes it is allowed. The US Constitution prohibits the unreasonable search and seizure of an individual. This school district and all its administrators should be charged with sexual assault as well as civil rights violations. I would see that everyone involved was either imprisoned or they would somehow mysteriously disappear.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
This is taking authoritarian dogma of `if you’ve done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to hide` to new lows of criminal abuse … nothing short of an arrest and prosecution of Vice Principal Kerry Wilson for child abuse will suffice …
August 16th, 2008 at 7:43 am
People in this community should keep their eyes on vice principle Kerry Wilson. Something seems funny here.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:44 am
The 6-5 decision; while appearing worrisome; was more due to politics than the judges personal opinions.
Occasionally judges agree to make a decision a “close” one to leave room for exceptions. A unanimous decision is a huge political message; and being that the currently Republican/Bush agenda is heavily proponent of laxing personal privacy and legal protection for their “wars” (Terrorism and Drugs). A unanimous decision against strip searching of anyone; even minors; would leave a precedence that other lawyers would use to invalidate other types of searches.
I would not be surprised that the dissenting opinions in this case is littered with exceptions and reason why the state has the right to absolute search and the mental well-being of the child is a small price to pay for security and protecting the same children.
Not that I think there is any justification for this kinda action it’s just these probably old white man have absolutely no empathy and do not think about the psychological impact of this type of policy just it’s ultimate goal.
The Ends justify the Means.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
the 5 of those aholes should be forcefully strip searched in front of people of the opposite sex,just to give them an idea
November 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I THINK THATS SO STUPIED! yea its bad to have med’s at school but if her mom or parents sign a papar saying she can have it then yea it is stupied lol. i think so was so WRONG.
January 17th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Instead of stating all the obvious that has already been stated in the previous comments (of which I agree with most), I have to ask this:
Is ibuprofen really a prescription drug in the U.S.? In most countries a 13 year old could just walk into a pharmacy and buy some legally.
January 18th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I’m telling you. Mandatory drug testing before these elected and appointed officials get their first paycheck. They work for us. Bring them down a notch or 40.
Touch my young daughter over an OTC Advil? You’re a criminal — just like the perv you read about in the newspapers.
It’s time to reign these monkeys in. They work for us — not the other way around. Fark them all soundly and FIRE them.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I want everyone to know that I am against it before I continue.
People wanted a basic line up.
Fact 1: A girl IN TROUBLE said another girl had Ibrofen. Of course a in trouble kid is going to lie.
Fact 2: They fallowed the direction of a child in trouble who is likely to lie and called in the subject of this story to search her for the drug in question.
PERSONNEL FACT: the drug being searched in question shows a good reason to stop it. I started to take this drug to solve my colds as a teen and it made me addicted some which gave me withdrawal headaches. So I understand the search for this drug since Teens now are stealing non prescription drugs from there parents, dealing and doing them. I just don’t agree with the method here.
Fact 3: They proceeded to strip search the subject of the story without contacting the parents for such a serous case. I agree a lot of parents would be not so happy about this, and I would be lawyering up if it was my daughter being strip searched.
Fact 4: This is personal and NO drugs were found on the teen and of course it is going to be a violation when parents aren’t contacted before strip searching them.
Fact 5: I not to long ago graduated from school and from mine no kids have no rights. Level: Daily Jail. This is for parents who haven’t been to school since Hell even the seventies.
The principal I had stuck to his guns and took care of these situations himself. When roomer of drugs being delt in the parking lot he went out himself and delt with it. luckily the student wasn’t intelegent and tried to make a sale off the principal. I do not need to suggest the outcome in the case of question.
But here we got peer brutality, a asst. principal removing a 7th or 8th graders clothing and performing search. Your body is very private and it doesn’t matter whether its a senior.
In this case I believe parents should be contacted, permission and presence requested while a same sex or the parents themselves perform this private thing if it is needed to be done.
But here it should NEVER gotten that far. the information was gotten from a non secure source. Reporters must see what I mean, think about it. As corrupt as a reporter is I find, they would agree with me.
It cheeses me off that the system is trying to fire the guy for performing this search. NOT enough!!!
The school system needs to be responsible for the brutes the run these schools.
Mine was not perfect, had lots of flaws like sending a single bus rated for 83 elementry school children to board where it was 96 high school students. It doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure 93 students figure around 110 pounds a peace is going to be quite off.
thats over 10,000 pounds of weight. All students were pardoned from the riot when the bus broke down and one broke out. What do you expect people were in the passage and were cramped. Students being moved like cargo??? A call was arranged to be placed by a student while a high ranking police officer stood behind the superintendent. and the option was clear. Send a bus rated for the compliment because if the smoking engine caught on fire caught out there would be no way to exit safely. A repeat of the titanic would ensue with kids trying to squeeze there bodies out the windows while others near forward and aft would run for exits. How do you think a video of that would be on U tube??? Kids trying to pop out the windows and doors like a spring loaded pop top while smoke issues from the front of the bus?
I’m sorry to take everyone off the issue. But a girl to be stripped search in this matter is just as ok as moving students like cargo.
I want to here these parents responding with a lawyer, and demanding cash from the system, I would love to see the court house have petitioners to be there when it goes to court.
The angle is obvous as it should be. This 13-year-old girl should have money waiting in an account use at her discretion when she turns 18. Thoughts????
April 17th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I don’t understand why the strip searchers weren’t charged with a SEX CRIME. Isn’t it some sort of felony for an adult to force a 13 year old to strip in front of them?
April 17th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
It is illegal for an adult to strip search a 13 year old child. Period.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I don’t care if she was smoking crack cocaine…innocent until proven guilty does not mean molest a 13 year old, EVER! A child should never be touched by anyone other than their parents, not even the police, without parental permission and an attorney present.
This is a sex crime, and the five judges who felt it was reasonable should be disbarred.
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Please note before sending the judges to sexoffender reabilitation their job is to examine the law rather than the lack of morality this vice principle who is still employed at the same school displayed.
I highly doubt any of the judges were happy with the facts of the case.
Regarding the comment on this being close by agreement to avoid precident earlier in the comments a 6-5 decision is just as much of a legal precident as a 11-0.
Regarding the comment about her being caught with knives that was the other student who was caught with the pills and knives rather than her. The accusation of her parents providing alcohal to her classmates was made by a male student that cannot prove he was there much less that alcohal was served and there have been no charges brought not disaplinary actions against this student for said offences.
Frankly I find it disheartening that the school has stood solidly behind the vice principle. The worst is he appears to genuinly feel since no drugs were found that there is no problem with striping a 13 year old student. I also question his judgement in deciding someone caught with pills and knives was more credible than an honar student with no history of disapline problems.
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:39 pm
fire the teacher no child to be strip search parent should of been called When teacher and principal fired record need to follow with if leave state so if get job with school not able to get job No one has a right to strip search a child Parent should of been called. It is hard for a child to trust a teacher or principal This is a sex crime special done in school. Yes the five judges should be disbarred do to if it would have happened to one of their children they would want them jailed.
April 29th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Why is there such a question on liability for strip searching in a school when Alameda County payed $4.3 million to people sentenced to Juvenile Hall for performing the same strip search? Article sited next line
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/25/BAEU11VEPH.DTL&tsp=1
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
In Monroe County, Michigan at Jefferson High School The NJROTC Instructors accually desinged a strip tease for their students at their annual Naval Ball. Children as young as 13 or 14 are present to watch this. They are video taped and the tape sold in the school.Not only do they strip but other students are allowed to ride the cadet from the front and the back and bind him with ties. This has gone on for 14 years. The principal and school board officials are present at the time. A teacher is paid $1000.00 of cadet raised public donations to film and produce the tape. The cadets are lead in a toast to a dead secretary of the Navy “that Son Of A —–” Yes they are lead to curse a dead man for depriving them of boose. The program and the school is there to teach cadets to keep their clothes on, stay away from drugs and alcohol, deter teen pregnancy, and make good citizens of them.
As far as I’m aware, if I threw my son a party and one of his freinds were to strip even without being lead to and I taped it and did not even sell it I would be arrested for a felony and put on a list forever. But I guess as long as a principal, two navy officers, a member of the department of corrections, two teachers, and a school board official is there it is called a proud tradition.
when your child is possibly subject to being stripped for any reason at their school it is time to pull your child out and home school them.
read carefully the words NEW WORLD ORDER.
There are changes comming about and to go along with them is wrong.
If there is that much wrong at a school where they have to strip search kids then it is not a healthy environment. PERIOD. Pull your kids and let the school close or strip kids but at least it is not your kids.
We are going in a direction as a nation that many of us are unwilling to go. Please continue to fight.
God Bless